[1] Vigor Points : Vigor points are the magic points of Hewdamia. It is the physical energy that can be utilized from a person's body for use with elemental magic.[2] Rank : Rank is character's level in the game. It is the same as what a level is in most other games, but is on a ranking system.[3] Defense : Defense is a character's armor class, armor rating. It is on a percentile number like most of the system. So the +5 to defense is a bonus +5% to the defense percentile rating.[4] Traders Common : Is similar to common is most other game systems. It is a very basic form of communication designed for basic use. Most races know it as it is easy to learn and easier to communicate with it for simple thoughts.[5] Stamina : Stamina is a character's Hit Points, Life Points, Structure points, what ever other games call it. It how much damage the character can take before dying.

In the early days of Hewdamia, the Gods squabbled over the world and took what they could from the each other. There was little here but water and soil, yet the Three Gods fought over it still. The arrival of the newer Gods marked a turning point in the world as well as the Gods. While some of the Gods had been here for eons (Perteum, Gotruis, and Kameakias), new Gods began to arrive and fill the empty voids the older Gods ignored, much to the others disapproval. Twelve new Gods arrived and began fighting to lay claim to the world below. They brought with them new conflicts as well as new concepts. The others that came were Bharat, Caedmon, Dubaku, Gutxi, Horatius, Kasal, Kiamana, Odhran, Ptah, Sethalis, Shehrevar, Xukthalis. Out of all the concepts and ideas brought, no other idea was more important than the mortal soul brought by Kasal.

Bharat came and brought warmth when the brothers could not. Once the mortals below began gaining intelligence, he taught them the concept of fire. With this concept now known to them, they slacked in their worship of the twin Sun Gods. The twin brother Gods did not like this and sought ways to remove him quickly lest he think bigger and want to replace one of the brothers in their duties.

Caedmon had a dark way of looking at the universe. The first chance Caedmon got, he taught the mortals about war. He was instrumental in teaching them the ways of battle and killing early on, much to the displeasure of the other Gods. With the idea of war now in their blood, mortals began waging war on each other for pleasure and power, never being done before. When the mortals began warring below, he just sat back and watched in mute pleasure.

Dubaku brought his eleven children with him from places unknown to any other. These eleven children went to the world below and went into hiding, knowing something about what was to come from their fatherÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s warnings. The went into hiding in remote parts of the world and went into a deep hibernation. These eleven children grew into what are the dragons today.

Gutxi saw the souls below her and felt pity on them and created the Olwynn in her own diminutive image. Giving them a cleverness that the other new mortals did not have at such an early state. She did this to give them an advantage over the larger mortals, fearing they would harm her little children. It is thought that she fled the destruction of a world where the mortals destroyed much of what she held dear. They would eventually become strong psionics.

Horatius came to the world with a purpose. He saw that the Gods that were here before the others had developed a passing of time solely on the thought of day and night, light and dark. But there were no seasons, no reason or rhythm. There was no order to how the world grew, only a chaotic shamble. He changed the climate of the world so the seasons changed and gave the mortals a way to tell the passage of time by the changing of the seasons and the planting of crops.

Kasal was the one to have brought the soul of those mortals that were placed on Hewdamia. It is thought that he came from a world that had died or burned out and found a new place for the souls to continue on. When these souls were placed on the world below, they wandered in agony until Kameakias felt pity and gave them that which they needed, flesh. A few were over looked or even escaped his grasp, but most of the wandering souls were given a home to a new body to begin life on the world. With these new additions added to the world, the Gods had new reasons to battle.

Kiamana saw the untamed oceans below him and sought to tame them. He did and by doing so, populated it with wonders from the souls that still wandered or that were missed or over looked by Kameakias. Kiamana also taught mortals about the ocean and how to respect her and sail her, teaching them to navigate by the stars so they would not get lost.

Odhran was impressed with some of the other Gods additions to the world. Mainly Kiamana and Horatius. Odhran continued with one step further by creating the different types of vegetation in the world. Filling it with trees, plants, all manor of growth to populate the world and let it grow on its own. With HoratiusÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s help he taught the mortals how to cultivate these plants to live and grow off them and make them flourish.

Ptah was important, even beyond some of the other Gods. She came when the mortals were still learning to live. She brought them one thing the others had forgotten. She taught them the ability to speak. She taught them language, and while she tried to teach them the value of art. It would not be for many centuries later that they began to appreciate it.

Sethalis arrived and brought pain and suffering. The other Gods looked down on him for his desire for pain, destruction, and power. Even among the Gods he was unusually power hungry. They tried to force him away from the world but his determination halted their progress. He waited until their was a shift in the Gods and when they began warring with one another he stepped away and began his work in private. He looked down on the world at what the other gods had created and laughed. With a wave of his hand he began corrupting that which the Gods had created. Slowly he started creating creatures to populate the world in small numbers at first then growing to take over small islands. The others failed to see this as they were in the process of battling for control. By the time they were finished he had corrupted 1/3 of the worlds population with his abominations.

Shehrevar saw the mortals milling about on the world below and gave them a special gift. He taught them magic when the other Gods were fighting. He taught them his secrets and hide many more throughout the world for them to find when they were ready. This is only legends as no one has ever found this hidden knowledge of magic. The gift of magic brought the mortals into the world with their eyes open. They accomplished so many things with the use of magic they never thought possible.

Xukthalis arrived and was instantly curious of the world below him. He immediately began watching the world and the Gods to gain incite into this new realm for him. He sat still as he watched, never moving from his perch. He circled every day and every night until his body started to harden. He realized his error to late, but by sitting still for so long he had become hard as stone. To this day the mortals below can still see him watching from above as he passes by every night in the guise of the moon.

After the Awakening, the mortals were slowly carving out their claim on the untamed lands and growing as much as they could while above the Gods squabbled, argued and occasionally fought with one another for these new prizes. These souls became the forefathers of the Ginesh, the Gison, and the Derevo; although the Derevo would split multiple times before their Age came and went.

Over 300 years had passed since the arrival and birth of moral men and they were beginning to prosper quickly. They learned early on the benefits of talking to the Gods. They learned the way of magics from the Gods and by other means taught to them. Certain Gods gave boons for talking to them every day. Small sects began to spread through the groups of mortals and began to separate the mortals from one another. They started separating themselves, not by race, but by the Gods that they talked to. During this split of factions, the two God Brothers began to fight more and more over those below them who they claimed meant little to them

Then it happened. The Gods began to war. The skies rumbled and flashed with their might, and the ground below them shook with their rage. ThatÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s when the sky fell on those below. For nearly a year, fire and stone fell from the sky as the two brothers fought their battle in the sky above. The flames and stone ruined homes and crops, it killed cattle and people without mercy. Anyone caught outside during the fire storms were doomed. They were what caused a race to go to war with itself.

Gotruis and Perteum were the more respected of the Gods by the Gison. They were the fire in the sky, they were everlasting and gave life and warmth to the world and battled every day over who would gain the respect of the Gison. This is how the War of Brothers began. It is lost in history on how the war started or who started it first, but that it was over the twin Gods Perteum and Gotruis, and that Gison spilled the blood of their own is apparent and well documented. The date that it all began is documented in some ancient history tablets throughout the different races. Right after the first nights of the Night Fire, the Gison went to war over their Gods. Men killed life long friends because they spoke to a different God. Fathers killed their own children for speaking to the wrong God, and brother ended up killing brother as the war raged on. Powerful forced were unleashed at their fellow Gison. So powerful in fact, that the Gods took notice. They saw what they had given to the mortals below, saw what they had given them to use against their own followers. And they felt worry. The war raged on for nearly 300 years with over 50% of the original population of Gison having been killed. In their shame they went to hiding in the mountains, building their new homes under ground in the sanctity of the stone that could not burn. And vowing never to lay a hand in anger on another ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œbrotherÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? again.

While the war between Gison was raging on the plains and mountains, the Olwynn were growing. They were learning everything they could that could benefit them and expand their control over the lands that they claimed as theirs. They saw early on when the fighting between Gison began that they would never physically match up against the other races they populated the world so they went and built walls around their coastal homes and hide from the outside world. They did this and prospered for over 500 years.

The second era started off in better light than the 1st era ended. For almost 500 years there was a rebuilding going on with the Gison, continued growth for the Olwynn, and understanding with the Derevo about the different factions in their families. Like all things, this time had come to and end.

During these five decades that the mortals grew and built their homes, the Gods sat above them and argued. The argued not about each other for a change, but over mortals and what they had learned. Kameakias had taken most of the punishment from the war between the Gison. The very land itself had been rip asunder and blasted and broken beyond repair from the magics and carnage that the gison let loose at each other. The Gods argued because they had erred. They erred in giving so much information to the mortals that prayed to them and made them stronger with each prayer.

While the Gods argued, Caedmon began to work. He slipped away and began building gates in remote places of the world, hidden from the questioning eyes of his fellow Gods, away from meddling mortals. These massive stone gates depict scenes of horror and terror beyond what anyone had seen. These gates were doorways to another place, possibly from where Caedmon originally came from. These gates opened to the world of the Demons and their kin. Caedmon had originally planned to open the gates and unleash a swath of destruction so encompassing, that the Gods would fail to stop it. The gates were dubbed the Demon Gates and they stood ready to unleash a hell on the world only Caedmon had ever seen before. He placed keys throughout the world to be used when he was ready, but before that time came, he was thrust into an argument that would change the Gods forever.

Kameakias and Gotruis argued with Perteum and the new God Caedmon about the need to curtail the use the magic on the world. Saying that with mortals having the power to shake the world, they could learn how to shake the Gods as well. Caedmon argued that it was a ploy to gain followers or an upper hand over what he was trying to carve out as his realm on the world. Trying to take away his followers powers so that he could be removed or maybe even replaced. Perteum, while never liking Caedmon, agreed that they should do nothing about the mortals on the world below as they were insignificant to them. So saying this, the brothers once again went to war only this time, the entire realm of the Gods was involved.

When the Gods warred, mortals knew it. The grounds heaved and shook under their feet, the skies blackened and burned, crops withered as soon as they grow, and prayers were never answered. This war was different for the Gods however. With nearly 500 years of relative peace from war, the mortals had done nothing but studied and prospered. One of the things they had studied was magic. The very thing that the Gods were warring over. They were able to actually effect the outcome of these Godly battles and did what the Gods thought impossible. Mortals waged war on the gods. When it was all said and done, the Gods looked at the carnage they had wrought and wept. All except for Sethalis and that is. They saw what they had given the mortals and they were afraid. Mortals had done the impossible. And to make matters worse, not all the Gods had survived the war. For over 1000 years this war raged on, with casualties on both sides, mortal and God. When the smoke cleared all wept for the losses. Bharat, Caedmon, Dubaku, Gutxi, Horatius, Kiamana, Odhran, Ptah, and Shehrevar did not survive the war of the Gods. Some think that they are in hiding regaining strength, but the mortals chosen by the Gods as their voice know the truth. The Gods who no longer answer the prayers of their followers are dead. This changed the outlook on a few things and the Gods came to an agreement. With the loss of Shehrevar magic changed. The remaining Gods took the knowledge of magic, all the forces that were taught to the mortals, all the powers that could be manipulated and crystalized them, hoping that the mortals could not figure out how to use magic with their god gone.

It is known, or at least widely rumored, that Sethalis was the one to have removed Caedmon. He didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t like how much like him that the younger God was. He was to power hungry for Sethalis and did not want a power struggle eons later when the younger God was more powerful. The other Gods were to busy in their own struggles to have noticed but it was still figured to be his doing. Another reason for the Gods not to trust him. Because of his death, Caedmon was never able to open the gates so they sit dormant still. His followers actively seek out these keys in the hopes that by opening the Demon gates, he would return.

It really isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t know how long the Gods warred, so much was lost that will never be replaced. The fabled Library City of Tasgall was one such resource to have been lost. It was an entire city devoted to knowledge and learning. It is said that had information on every magic used and even maps of the entire world, a complete history of all the mortal races on the world from their birth to their death, and a complete record of the world of the time. It was even rumored to have had scriptures written by the Gods themselves there. All the wonders kept in this city were there only to be lost when the city was destroyed in the War of the Gods.

After what is thought to be 1000 years of the war, mortals began to rebuild what was destroyed not only by the Gods but by themselves. This time of rebuilding started a new cycle in mortals. Since they had lost track of time and didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t know where to begin again, they started a new calendar and a new year. For 250 years they rebuilt the world, their homes and their histories again. Only for tragedy to strike again. The Gison, after all these decades, finally came out of their mountain homes to view the outside world. In their self seclusion after so long, they had changed from they way people had remembered them. They had grown shorter, stockier and had a distrust of anyone who was not of their family. During one of these outings, they met up with a group of rogue Derevo and ended up having to fight them off as they raided their camp. The Gison not understanding that these were in fact rogues of the race and not the normal took it upon themselves to return the favor, thinking that the family is responsible for the actions of those members in it. Or at least that is how they view their world, the entire family is responsible for its members actions.

Needless to say, under this big misunderstanding a war raged on between the two races for 500 more years. After which, with the help of a mediator, they both understood that the entire war had been over the doings of a few who had been banished from the Derevo country side. This brought the Derevo in closer and the in-fighting started. This in-fighting would be minor and mainly heated arguments for another 600 years.

Even before the end of the Derevo and Gison war, the rest of the world had begun to fall into a repression of sorts. Crops would not grow and produce like they had in the past. The rebuilding that had gone on so well for 250 years, had ceased to progress and had actually started to decline. Sickness and plagues slowly worked their way across the lands killing a good portion of the population. The wars had stopped for the most part, all but the Gison and Derevo war that raged on in the plains and forests outside of most civilization. Some have thought this was the actions of the God Sethalis wreaking havoc on the world.

During this time, more and more of SethalisÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s handy work could be seen. His creatures began roaming out of the wilds destroying small villages and towns and running back into hiding before anyone could respond. They began kidnaping children mostly, but for what no one knows as they were never seen from again. This sent the populations into seclusion as well. Where it was possible, walls and fortresses were build to keep out the raging beasts and to protect the masses from Sethalis and his abominations. This went on for nearly 600 years, with the lands slowing being taken over by the creatures.

They started slowly but began taking over a large island just west of the mainland. Unfortunately, this was were the Olwynn had chosen for their home. Slowly they were pushed back until they could no longer retreat as they were trapped between the ocean and the advancing hoard of creatures. Then for some unknown reason, the invasion halted and they stopped advancing leaving the Olwynn to fend for themselves. While most of them did leave, a small stronghold was built on the cliff face to watch for and defend the ocean crossing to the mainland from the creatures. The island was renamed ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“Isle de SangellasoÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ or the Isle of Blood in honor of those who had fallen in the protection of the people.

The Olwynn left and went east to the opposite coast line and built a fortress to match the one they had left. With the loss of more than 2/3 of their population, they had little resources to build with and therefore called out for help. The Gison answered their plea and helped build an impressive stronghold to slow the advance of the invading creatures. Once the strong hold was build they left and went into their mountain homes again and waited. The fortress was then named ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“Forreso de AmortizoÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ or Fortress of Redemption in the hopes that they would stop the massing horde should they come again. They then started building out up and down the coast building watch

Also new to the end of this era was the arrival of the humans. No one is sure where they came from, but one day they began arriving our from the east and setting claim to the lands unsettled by anyone else. And since the Gison had taken the mountains as their homes, the Ginesh had taken to the coastal cliffs across from Ilse de Sangellaso, that only left the Derevo with rights to the lands in between. As they were busy with their inner turmoil at present, the lands were unclaimed and so the humans took it on themselves to build were they saw fit.

With nearly 1000 years of there being an absence of the Gods that fell in the war of the Gods, things began to change. No one knows why but a shift in the politics of the Gods came to startling events. The God Kasal began to see a problem in his realm beginning to arise. All the souls of the mortals who died came to him. This he assumed was because he had originally brought them here so they had a natural desire to return to what they thought was home. After speaking at length with them, only a few hundred years, Kasal came to an understanding on what was needed. A few of the souls had come to a point of growth where they were not content with living life as a mortal and felt the need to grow elsewhere. Where that place is no one knows. Now for most of the souls who are still attached to the living constantly requested to be born again to begin the cycle anew, but with all the souls that arrived Kasal could not keep up with the numbers before him.

After a few thousand years with all the number of wars and deaths that piled up because of them, Kasal was literally unable to send those who wanted to be born again and those who needed to move on. While pondering the fate of those souls still waiting in line to be sent on their proper way he new what he had to do and he began searching for his answer. He found it in the guise of a mortal named Syrin Berakas. It is assumed he was a human, but this is only speculation. This mortal man was selfless in all his actions and gave everything he had and more with the only request he had was for the person to pass on the favor to someone who needed it. His love of the natural world and its growth gave Kasal pause, in this world of selfish people and violence beyond imagination, here was a mortal who would just grin at someone who robbed or hurt him and offer anything he could to assist the person in their pursuit.

Then one day it happened, Syrin came across a small family being waylaid by robbers and tried to convince them to leave the helpless family alone while he took their place. They apparently agreed and took all his belongings and cursed when it was nothing of value. They ended up killing him, but not before they told him of their intentions with the family. The robbers took everything the family had then ended their lives alongside SyrinÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s and left their bodies for the scavengers. Kasal saw this and immediately went to look for SyrinÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s soul. He found his soul with the family of those who had died with him, apologizing that he could not have stopped the brigands. Kasal took him aside and gave him an option. To continue on with his life or to accept an offer from a God.

Kasal and Syrin talked for what seemed like years about what Kasal had to offer. When it was over, Kasal had done what no other God had done before. Using the essence of the Gods who had died in ages past he had elevated Syrin to Godhood. While Syrin was not as powerful as the other Gods, he had a very unique gift. He was able to bring life back to the world. The souls that were stuck in KasalÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s realm that were not yet ready to pass over were reborn with the help of Syrin, who then only called himself Berakas, as his mortal life was over he refused to be called by his mortal given name. A new era was being born with new souls being reborn into the world came new ideas come again from ages past.

Sethalis looked on this with a mix of wonder and fury. If Kasal could raise a mortal to Godhood, why couldnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t the rest of the Gods do the same? He was beginning to feel the pressure of the other Gods. They looked to him now every time something went wrong. Every time something stirred in the world that was not natural, they looked to him and blamed him for its beginning. He didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t fear them, but after witnessing the death of the other Gods that arrived with him, he knew that he could be removed. And with this new event brought about by Kasal, he could apparently be replaced. So he took it on himself to fix the situation before the others could.

He searched day and night for years for someone like him. Someone with his ideals and his morals, or lack there of. What seemed like an instant to the Gods took decades to accomplish, but in the end the result was the same. He saw a mortal woman, beautiful and striking even to the immortal and impassive Gods. She commanded men and they obeyed. When she told them to sacrifice themselves for her they did. Her commands always came more and more deadly, more and more sinister until she was murdered in her bed by her enemies. Be fore her soul could go to KasalÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s realm however, Sethalis acted. He took her soul into the darkness and gave her a choice, forever be dead never to feel again or walk as a superior and become immortal. The two made a deal and then she chose the later. Sethalis instantly looked for the essence of Caedmon as he was the closest to the disposition that he wanted in this new God. And from then on Idehund was born of the Gods.

Idehund is the God of lies and confusion, a trickster among the Gods and a vengeful enemy. While born of the essence of the former Gods, there was only a little left after Kasal raised Berakas to Godhood so her powers are limited. She is weak compared to the other Gods, but her strength comes not from her powers but from her deceitful mind. She uses her powers to influence the mortals below to play out her own sick twisted games. She does what she can to hinder BerakasÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s motives and actions in the world, mainly because she can, any other reason is known only to her. She is not without merit however. She looked down on the mortals below and felt a kinship with a group of wastrels wandering the deserts. She went to them in her mortal form and wooed them to follow her. She led them to a mountain range and showed them how to live and survive. She placed life throughout the desert where only they could find and told them to hold the secrete close, lest her wrath come down on them. These ebony skinned nomads looked to her as their savior Goddess and worshiped her forever after. From her actions, the Lemieans were organized and flourished where no one else could. They began to form tribes and prosper in the deserts and the mud baked flats. After this accomplishment, the Ascension of the Gods was complete, the essence having been taken by Kasal and Sethalis in their actions. More of it remains, the other Gods are just wary of attempting to copy the other two Gods.

After the war with the Gison ended, the Derevo closed themselves in looking at the way their race had grown. The leaders saw a split happening that they feared would never be healed. For 600 years they talked and argued over the four factions growing. The heads of the four tribes came together and debated over what was the best course. The four leaders were; Glunduil-Novotie, Tyldur-Yakaram, Adraladar-Sladiva, and Vaemiar-Gretalia. In the winter of 321A, the split happened and the Derevo would never be the same.

Glunduil-Novotie, the appointed leader of all the Derevo, had made a declaration that all Derevo who had made aggressive actions toward any outsider or family member would be banished from the homelands never to be aloud entry again. This included past and future actions. Some of the Derevo didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t like this declaration as they were part of the group that would be banished. The leader of those who felt that they were better than the others, both family and outsiders was Adraladar-Sladiva. He felt that as they were of the long lived they were shown special interest by the Gods and should therefore take their pick of what they wished, when they wished regardless of who it was they took from. At this Glunduil-Novotie banished Adraladar-Sladiva and his supporters. Tyldur-Yakaram was Glunduil-Novotie most trusted advisor and he warned of what was to come with his declaration.

What transpired next was the bloodiest battle the Derevo had ever seen. In the winter of 321A those who were banished came back and began the bloodiest battle to date. Every war to date had been bloody, but this was different. This was family fighting family, brother fighting brother. Never in the history of these people had another member fallen by the hand of someone of the same race. The rage that went into those who were killed stained the forest red. Vaemiar-Gretalia had been a secret supporter of Adraladar-Sladiva and struck the first blow with the murder of Glunduil-Novotie. For the entire winter Derevo fought Derevo until all sides were weary and beaten. But the Novotie and the Yakaram survived and were able to hold back and even push the other two tribes out of the forest. When all was over Vamiar-Gretalia took a group of his people and headed off toward the sea, while Adraladar-Sladiva took his people toward the mountains to fight the Gison for their underground homes. Tyldur-Yakaram, who had survived the war send emissaries instantly to the Gison to warn them of the split and of the hostile intentions of their banished people so that blame would not befall every Derevo of the actions of the others.

From then on the Derevo were no more, but were split into four groups; the Novotie who remain true to their heritage and travel the lands as nomads to the world, the Sladiva who live under the mountains and continue their hatred toward their brothers to the south and the Gison who inhabit the mountains with them, the Gretalia who have sailed to islands unknown and taken up cannibalism as their tribal distinction, and the Yakaram who fought little in the winter battles but helped the NovotieÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s sick and wounded. After the end of Blood Winter, and over the passage of time, the Derevo were scattered across the lands and divided into four distinct races; the Novotie, the Yakaram, the Sladiva, and the Gretalia. Each one changing over the course of time never to be the same.

During this time the humans were pushing their lands farther and farther north. After learning the fundamentals of mining and smelting they sought after ore and gems mainly found in the mountains that were home to the Gison. While at first their initial probing into the GisonÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s territory did little but cause grumbling and an occasional scuffle, it soon began to cause problems. Whether it was the greed of humans or the territorial nature of the Gison, a conflict was inevitable. During the summer of 324A, the mild conflicts would become an all out battle that raged on for 1000 days with both sides losing people over the rocky land. King Glenar Mountain-smasher lead his people into war against the humans for fear of his home being overrun by the new comers. This war was called, Mil Batalo de Pekliberigo in Gison. It meant th 1000 day battle.

After his two sons had died in the war, King Glenar Mountain-smasher had enough. He went to Caedd of Mirardorin, the claimed ruler of the human settlement in the north and posed a deal. The deal was agreed upon by both parties involved and the war was at an end. The two had agreed to let the humans access to the mountains to mine but only in areas unclaimed by the Gison. These unclaimed lands were only to the west of the Traiken Peak. Anything to the west was fair game for the humans to mine, or anyone else for that matter, anything to the east is sole property of the Gison and anyone caught ming it without permission will be dealt with swiftly. With this truce made, the two races began trading with each other. Tentatively at first, but as the years rode on, so did their acceptance of one another. Trust was hard to come by, but both accepted the other and their relationship continued on.

The Gods had been quiet for some time, rarely bothering the mortals in their daily lives. Because of this lapse, someone unlocked the secret to using magic again. While humans fail to see the world as the other longer lived races, they have an outlook that can sometimes surpass their years. It was a human named Coric Deannyn who found a way to bring magic back to the world. He determined that there were crystal-like ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“cropsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ of magic all over the world and found a way to harness it. It is whispered however, that Coric was given this information by Idehund herself but no proof can justify the rumor. And while the Gods still look to blame her for this happening she just ignores them and continues on with her meddling.

With the knowledge of magic back in the hands of mortals, a new growth of civilization was inevitable. For nearly the next 1000 years, humans began carving their claim to the world founding kingdoms throughout the lands and prospering in their short lived lives. Battles were fought and wars were waged, but nothing was very devastating to the world of the humans or the other races. This was not a golden age, although some think so, but more of a growing period for humans. The other races grew and prospered as well but it was not an age of growth as some histories claimed.

4th Era 1609A - 2615A : Flight of the Dragons 2650A - 2928A : New races all are found to be prospering 2930A - 3515A : Golden Age of Prosperity 3550A - present : Dark Uprising 4th Age : 4th Age, The Age of Darkness

Right after the 1000 years of human prosperity, it all suddenly came crashing down. Mortals became cocky with the returned use of magic. They were soon tested with the arrival of DubakuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s children. When they arrived to the world they were small and frail, frightened creatures unsure of the world which their Father-God had sent them. They went into hiding to grow and learn and rest. For 2000 years they slept and grew, their unnatural bodies never needing food while they slept as they took it from their surroundings. They awoke in a land far different from their arrival but their needs were still the same. Across the world the children of Dubaku mated and gave birth to others. Over the next 1000 years they mated and birthed more of their kind unaware that on the other side of the world other sentient beings lived and died. After the 1000 years of their birthing cycle they went into hibernation again with their offspring falling suit.

And they slept for another 2000 years. When they woke up this second time however, the need for mating was there in the younger offspring, but the original children of Dubaku felt a need they never had before. It had been to long since they had heard the calling of their Father-God, so they went out to look for the answers to their questions. They looked everywhere for their Father-God and came to the conclusion that he was no longer here. The fact that he could be dead never came to their mind as they were nearly as eternal as the Gods. They raged and took this rage to the mortals that occupied the lands burning the land with their magical breath and devouring cattle and people alike.

To the mortals, these dragons seemed like the gods themselves come to the world. Their massive size and abilities defied anything they had every seen. Only when the Gods warred above had they witnessed such devastation. They fought back however, and while they didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t push back the dragons they were still able to survive the onslaught. No one knows why the dragons finally stopped and returned to their homes. But as abrupt as it started, the flight of the dragons ended and they went back into their hibernation awaiting the next 2000 years for an answer from their father-god.

In the wake of the horrific flight of the dragons other races were found to have been prospering in different parts of the lands. In the south where the sea of desert and sand stretched for miles the LemieanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s were found to have prospered and built cities of mud and brick as shelter against the hot sun and sand. In the boggy swamp lands to the south east a sentient lizard like creature were found to have built small tribal towns and found expanding to the surrounding areas. And to the north past the edge of the mountain range were found what appeared to be giants. These tribal clans were a very proud race and distrustful of any outsiders, yet friendly to those who proved trust. Later finding out that they were a half breed of human and gison, both races deny the claims.

With these three new races found a new time of prospering began with all races growing in this new period. For nearly 600 years this growth continued with advances in magic supplementing technology at every turn. This growth would come crashing to an end however when SethalisÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s children resurfaced and rose again against the mortals, this time they were not fighting for control over land and kingdoms but over Hewdamia itself. A new Age would begin with this Dark Uprising. The Age of Darkness.

Description : They can average to be around 225 - 240 lbs, but their bodies portray grace and beauty not muscular obesity. Their ears are larger than a human's ears, allowing them exceptional hearing. Their small facial features gives them a childlike look that their constant smiles do little to hide. The color of their skin ranges multiple shades of brown, giving them the ability to almost vanish in any woodland surrounding if similarly clothed.

Distinguished Traits : The Novotie are the oldest lived race in the forest as well as most of the known world. Their closeness to the spirit of the forests and their God has given them a few abilities that are special and thought of as gifts from Berakas. They have a powerful form of infravison that can see up to 65' in total darkness, and can speak to all of natures creatures. They will seldom get lost outdoors, even on the cloudiest of nights.

Personality : Their love for the natural order of things has made their jovial society artistic, and lovers of music, song, and dance. Their skill with instruments is as astounding as their skill with the bow and other woodland weapons. They see any steel weapon as a pure killing tool and will have no business with one, unless forced to fight or defend for their lives. They do however, use daggers or knives, but only to hunt and skin animals with, not to kill or maim a person. If backed into a corner, however, this could change. They also have a high regard for all things living and if they need to hunt for food, they use all parts of the animal that they can and properly giving respect to the parts they cannot. This is normally done by burying them and never done just for its pelt or for pleasure.

Home : Being nomadic, they seldom stay in the same place for more than a few nights. Although this is the case, quite a few have actually traveled out into the civilized lands for a short period in their lives to see other wonders. Their non-aggressive behavior has made their lives in perfect harmony with nature and their wild surroundings. Not out of place in a city however, but they are at home in their element when in the forests.

Relations : Everyone in the tribe is considered an equal and never treated as beneath another. Whether the person is ten years or three hundred years of age does not matter to them. Full respect, though, is given to their Elders of the tribe, but only the Eldest is seen as all wise and knowing and considered the voice for the whole of the people. They are very nonaggressive and extremely polite, but they are fierce opponents when pushed to defending themselves and others.

Religion : They love nature to the fullest possible potential, and will do everything in their power to protect what they feel is a gift from Berakas, their God and way of life, and should be taken care of. They respect the other GodÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s, but Berakas holds their faith. Their priests are held nearly as high as their Elders in their level of deference and respect. Most of the Elders become priests at one point in their live span however, so they tend to have a number of Priests within their Elder group.

Language : Their spoken language is very melodic and soothing. It is said one nearly sings when they say hello in their language, which isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t far from the truth. Their vocabulary is extensive and precise and one must nearly sing it to get the tone right. Their written language has been accepted by most scribes throughout the lands as a universal text script. Very smooth and flowing and easy to read.

Favored Profession : They have no favored profession, however most Novotie become a Priest at some point in their life.

Race : Derevo/ Yakaram Appearance : Almost identical to the Novotie yet their features are not as angular, seeming to be broader then their cousins.Average Height : 6' 2" Average Weight : 215 lbs Average Lifespan : 150 years Typical Climate : Forest edge, Plains, Temperate, Tropical

Description : They are very slim and frail looking, yet are healthy and extremely physical. They can average around 210 - 220 lbs and can average to about 150 years old before they lay down and let the earth consume them. They have a human diversity in appearance where no two individuals look alike. Their hair color tends to be natural browns or blonds, with few with hair darker. Their eyes are almost a universal color green, just different shades for each individual. Their ears are smaller than the Novotie and not as pronounced, yet still stick out.

Distinguished Traits : Having an affinity to their natural surroundings they have developed a limited form of infravison They can see heat patterns that distinguish a being in the darkness. While they can not gather specifics about they person, they can tell if they are hiding. If they are very familiar with the individual then they can determine who they are. They can only see 15' in darkness with their infravision, but can see blurred movement up to 30' in darkness.

Personality : When dealing with the outside world, they still keep their segregated opinions that their tribe has implanted into their minds. While they will work with members of the opposite sex, they will do so under the strictest of terms and the shortest time necessary. They are cordial to other races and tend to hire themselves out as embassadorÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s for the other races to mediate disputes. They do so only at the request of one of the parties involved and they always carry a superior attitude to these meetings. They are constant advisors to the Novotie however, and show them their utmost respect regardless of the sex of the person in question.

Home : They live in small villages on the border of the Brelean Forest. The men and woman live separately in different villages, although not far from each other, are rarely visited by either group unless it is absolutely necessary, and even then they have a meeting place somewhere not in their respective villages. They do this because they have a very segregated view of each other, willing to live separately as they have done for centuries.

Relations : They are very segregated and will rarely spend any time with a member of the opposite sex, since their culture is broken down into casts of society, then by gender. They will only spend time together during war and festivals of procreation. At no other time will they congregate, unless it is important. They are almost like two separate cultures in this respect. Their females are just as strong and as opinionated as the men, never are they subservient. They raise the male children until they can walk, then let them free. Those that find the male encampments grow strong as part of the tribe. Those that get lost in the forests are not even mourned as they were not worthy to be with the tribe.

Religion : Each village has a High Priest that they listen to for guidance and that travel to speak with one another frequently to discuss matters of religion, but there is not one single God that they believe in more than any others except when it comes to the sex.. They respect and fear all the Gods fully, but their view on them is different depending on the individual God. The females of the Yakaram, while they respect the male Gods will not worship them outright. They may thank them in passing for an event that they know only that God could have done, but that is the extent of their belief. The men are the same, while they worship and respect the male Gods, they have a large problem believing that Idehund is a Goddess and refuse to accept her as one.

Language : Their language is very aggressive and specific, often omitting words normally in a conversation to make it shorter. This isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t by personal choice but by having done it throughout the years they have made their language useful yet to the point of their meaning. Nothing is wasted when they speak. Their written language is the same, with only thirty character like pictures they mean multiple things when grouped together in certain patterns.

Favored Profession : While all of the Yakaram are aggressive and physically capable of physically defending themself and their culture, they tend to have softer professions. They have great success when becoming a rogue however, with their natural grace.

Description : Olwynn are a small and diminutive race of tinkers and builders. Their eyes are the color of quicksilver and have no pupils. They have small slit for a nose and relatively small mouth. They stand about 4' tall and average to be about 55 - 65 lbs. Everything about them is diminutive, their hands, facial features and bodies are small, all except their minds.

Distinguished Traits : Because of their high intellect and nearly perfect blend of Psionics into their culture, they all receive +20 Vigor points[1] per rank[2]. Nearly all Olwynn are Psionic to some extent, 90%. Those that are not are delegated to a slaving, working caste. They are small and childlike and in combat are a little harder to hit for someone taller than 6' as their small size and natural quickness make them a difficult target. Because of this they have an added +5% to their defense[3].

Personality : The men are very accepting of others that show respect and are willing to help out anyone in need. The females on the other hand, are just the opposite. They do not trust anyone that is not another female Olwynn. They do tend to have a mild respect for females of other races but it is a begrudging respect and not one of an equal status. Their children are raised for the first 10 years by the men, while after that they are put into the care of the females for proper schooling.

Home : While they are small and diminutive beings, their dwellings are not. They have very spacious homes on the coast and take full advantage of the ocean breeze for cooling in the hot summers. They have four cities that rival the human capital cities in size and population with a large ominous stone wall that surrounds the coastal side of the cities. Their four cities are large ports used for trading and shipping of any goods one could desire. While they are not a military force to be concerned with, they have an agreement with the Kingdom of Kerrabar that allows them to dock a portion of their fleet for protection of their harbor and a subtle warning for anyone thinking of attack their fair city.

Relations : They have a very Matriarchal society, relying very heavily on female guidance. The females in their society rule their culture and their people. They feel that only a woman can handle the emotional burden of running a kingdom. The females have become heavy handed in their justice and final in their laws. The populace is finding out that with a female in charge, if you break a law, prepare to suffer. When issuing out judgment however, they don't have any racial prejudices. Everyone is the same in their eyes. While the males are not treated badly, they are occasionally looked down on as being not an equal.

Religion : While not an Atheistic culture, the Olwynn probably have the fewest religious followers. Not because they donÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t believe in the Gods, but require proof. Not all are this way, but most tend to take the world at face value and learn from what they see not from what they are told. Another reason behind their lack of faith is that they feel that their Goddess Gutxi will return and elevate them to their rightful status. They are not fanatics about it, just waiting for her return.

Language : Their written language is angular and precise, the height of a letter changing itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s intonation greatly. If not for the difficulty for non-Olwynn to grasp a firm understanding of their written language, it would probably be embraced by more people for its simple design and artistic angles. Their spoken language is similar to their written language where the slightest inflection can greatly change the meaning of a simple word. While this is confusing for someone who is not familiar with the language, once learned is easily spoken as it flows from the lips like water.

Favored Profession : They all have an exceptional minds and are some of the best thinkers in the known lands. Their incredible knack for mathematics is astounding. What would take a normal human, or another race, hours to figure out, takes them only moments to ponder. Which makes them masters when using Psionics abilities.

Their race has had an abundant amount of Psionics achievements in the past few hundred years. They seem to be able breed Psionics into their culture as if they were breeding special traits into a horse or other domesticated animal. Their culture defiantly has a more copious amount of Psionics then any other race known in the land. Many have thought that they have bridged the gap and are nearly to the point where all their people will soon be born with Psionic abilities.

Description : They have an average height of around 5' tall, but have a stocky and thick body that makes up for their size. They are thick and solid, sometimes weighing twice what they should normally weigh because of their short stature. Even though they average 5', they weight in at about 200 - 210 lbs and are seldom out of shape. They are longer lived than humans, averaging about 350 years of age before they feel a pulling to a distant place. When this happens, they leave family and friends behind and wander off to this pulling desire. No one knows where this place is because no one has returned from it. Everyone that has tried to follow has failed to return with the location of where they go.

Distinguished Traits : Having lived in their dark mountain homes for so long they have come accustomed to very dark places. They have developed a dark vision that is devoid of color yet allows them to see in total darkness. Their dark vison allows them to see in total darkness up to 50', however it is a greyscale and can not distinguish specific color. Now in daylight, their vision is poor as the bright lights tend to bother them. Fires and torches do not bother them as they still use those in their daily lives, and the burning coals in their forges are always burning hot. Also because of living for so long in their mountain homes, they have developed an attunement with the world. The always know where due north is located.

Their skin has taken on similar properties of the stone of their homes. Each clan having a different pattern of skin tone associated with a different granite pattern. Dark colors are common with light colored spots or veins. All looks to be similar to real granite. While theya re not made from the stone, they do have a distinct look, and their skin feels and looks like granite.

Personality : They are very family social by nature and it pleases them more to be around brethren than anyone else, however, they will travel with anyone they trust. While wary, they still drink and tell lies and stories with the best of them, but still have distrusting idea about everyone not of their clans. Once their trust is gained however, it is gained for life. They are wary of non-family yet when their trust is won, it is won for life of their family, not just the trust of one individual. If someone in their clan trusts someone, then they are accepted throughout the entire clan.

Home : Their social structure is based on families that have been formed into clans. Each clan has all of its family members in it. From the head of the clan to their parents, and grandparents, and children and so forth. Sometimes clans will split and form newer clans, but it is rare and only happens when there is simply no more room left in their mountain homes and fortresses. The tend to build their homes either on, in, or under the mountains as it provides the best protection from outsiders. They are very xenophobic of people they do not know, but will fight to the very end to defend it regardless of the enemy they face.

Relations : While very family oriented, they also understand the meaning of the strongest will prevail. They protect their family to the end, yet those not willing to at least try to protect themselves are not worthy of their help. They have a structured way of life that has work and play combined into one aspect. They will do little work unless they enjoy it, and any work that produces an end result worthy of work is went to with a purpose. They trust little in the outside world because of past confrontations with the other races. Their only real hatred is for the Sladiva who reside in the mountains with them.

Religion : While they respect all the Gods fully, they only worship the Brother-Gods Gotruis and Pertium. They have worshiped them since their ancestorÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s days and claim to continue to worship them until they are no more. Their priests are highly respected in the clans regardless of what family they come from. They are very devote followers of both Deities and will come to blows if one of them is insulted in front of them.

Language : They have a very deep and rumbling type of spoken language that seems to roll of their tongue like a boulder down a mountainside. It is very difficult to learn from anyone not of their race. They view Traders Common as a difficult yet necessary nuisance and use it only to make their dealings with merchants easier, yet will find little use for it outside of making money. Their writing is a basic form of runic symbols similar to that of the Keirn, which no one can figure out why. It is a very blocky type script that has symbols that have different meanings when paired with alternate runes.

Favored Profession : Their race is well know as the best craftsmen and weapon smiths in the known world. All of their kind love working with their hands and creating something of lasting value. Male and female alike do this, no one is better or seen as different than the others in the clans. The are protectors of friends and family and will not hesitate in hoisting a weapon in the protection or defense of someone in their clan or someone they call friend. They are all fierce warriors and respected priests.

Race : Human Appearance : Humans are diverse and can have nearly every natural hair, eye, and skin color. Average Height : 5' 10" Average Weight : 160 lbs Average Lifespan : 75 years Typical Climate : Humans live and prosper in nearly climate but prefer Temperate to Sub-Tropical.

Description : Humans have an unusual amount of diversity in their race. No two ever looking alike unless born twins. Humans are one of the main races on the planet of Hewdamia since they can repopulate quickly. They range in heights and weights and have a variety of appearances, so no two look alike. They can max to about 110 years old, but at this age they are feeble and dependant upon others. They average around 150 - 170 lbs.

Distinguished Traits : They have no real advantages over the other races though, as they can not see in the dark and can not speak with animals unless trained for many years. They are the average stock of the world, but they tend to overrun it with numbers since they can procreate faster than any other race. Their shorter life span is the cause of their over population and restlessness. As it drives them into a faster paced life. They do have a zeal for life sometimes that allows them to surpass other races in their advancement, but this is not a frequent event. They receive 2 extra skills at character creation.

Personality : Humans are as diverse as they come, always trying to be better than the other. They have a high sense of competition and can be unpredictable and sometimes uncaring of others. Their shorter life span makes them very ambitious and often reckless or careless in their lives. Most care about little more than self advancement and wealth, while others simply do not care or strive for anything but the next day. They come with every sort of personality known and then can even create some if the time arises. Because Humans are short lived, they are restless and sometimes chaotic and irresponsible. They are an adventurous lot, with little regard for others if they get in the way of their lifeÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s goal. Other intelligent races view them as being chaotic and impatient that has given them a bad reputation in the world of mortals.

Home : Humans have no real specific place to call home. There are human kingdoms dotting the land but they will create a town, city, or community where ever they see fit to do so. They have such a diverse sense of home that they have no real home that is solely theirs. In nearly every city that is of human make, the other races populate it as well, unlike most of the other races tend to be a little xenophobic and only allow choice individual people from certain races access to live in their homes.

Relations : Humans are not single minded beings. They have many different types of ideals within their race that seem radical to even them at times. Humans are probably by far the most confusing of the bunch. They change their minds quickly and sporadically so no one never really knows what they intend to do next. Some embrace honor and family, while others only embrace their basic needs. Either way, no way is set for the human race, each individual chooses their own mind and path.

Religion : Just like the rest of their culture, they are not religion specific. Some people are fanatics about the Gods, while others refuse to admit that Deities exist. Religion is on a case by individual case basis.

Language : Humans are the inventors of the traders language, called Traders Common.[4] They found some of the other racial languages difficult to understand at first so they came up with a universal language that everyone could understand and employ. Oddly enough, the other races seemed to accept this with an open arms type ideal and have had great acceptance of its use. While they can learn other languages, most are lazy and only choose to learn what the need to absolutely know. Their written language is very basic with having a single symbol for each letter in their alphabet.

Favored Profession : As diverse as they come, they have no set ideal on what they should or should not do as a profession, although there has been a majority of them looking toward the easier way of life and choosing Rogue like professions.

Description : Because of their hard lifestyles and their love of meat and mead at every meal, they have a healthy yet thick and stocky nature. They average about 6'5" tall, with many of them being taller still, and can live to be about 230 years of age. They average at about 220 - 230 lbs at an adult age. They are a rough and rugged people who, by living in the northern plains and coastlines have become strong and nearly as unforgiving as the land around them. They all have a weathered and worn look about them as their daily lives are mostly always spent outdoors, and their

Distinguished Traits : Because of their physical lifestyle, they gain a few bonuses that the other races may not. The gain an additional 3 Stamina points [5] ever rank as well as their healing rate is increased by one as well. They are also all naturally resistant to colder temperature, not immune.

Personality : The are a proud, honorable, and generally law abiding culture who value personal honor, warfare, and a high personal reputation. They not afraid of death itself but are very fearful of what comes after they die without honor. They fear that if they die with no honor then they are not allowed to travel to their ancestors homeland. They are very naive of most other cultures as they have an isolationalist type culture where they are wary of anything or anyone not of their culture. They are very strong willed and adept in the ways of warring and are strong fisherman with their great sea going vessels that are surpassed by none. They are a naive race however and therefore get caught up in the scheming of the other races often. They are strong warriors, and will often resort to single combat to defend their honor, but they are caring and respectful individuals that have a deep sense of morals and family.

Home : Most of the tribes have settled down now and given up their nomadic ways after learning how to farm and raise cattle. Those who have settled down have built sturdy towns and villages that scatter up the northern coastal way and the northern plains. Their houses are constructed of wood and mainly stone and are mostly long houses that can room an entire family. Some of the coastal buildings are often two stories to protect them from inclement weather and roaming beats. The roofs of most of the homes if not slates were made of thatch, turfed, or covered in wooden shingles depending on the location of resources.

The tribes who are still nomadic, following the herds during the winter are becoming fewer and fewer as the idea of shelter is more prominent. They have animal hides bound together coated in whale fat to make them water proof. These tribes do not have a use for farming or herding domesticated animal as their constant moving doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t allow it. If any of the keirn are found to be raiding coastal settlements, then it is more than likely these roving tribes. They constantly are fighting with the weather as well as the Corrupted that populate the northern reaches.

Relations : In the world of the Keirn everyone has equal rights, but it is more up to the men to provide for the family and the community. The women work in the home and raise the children, teaching them the basics of family life, and help the men in the fields. They are very family bound, and once married they stay married to the same person until death and rarely remarry. Each man is in charge of his home and the members in it. If someone does something that breaks one of their laws then the man in charge of his home is held responsible.

Each tribe is a different family ruled by a Chief that runs the villageÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s daily business. They are highly respected in their society, even among the different tribes. The rulers of each village are chosen every three years at the Hodgemead, a gathering of everyone in the tribes to celebrate. During these HodgemeadÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s all grievances are forgiven and all debts are paid. The leader of each village who wishes to retain their status must defend it against anyone willing to take it from them. They must fight only wearing shorts using no weapons but hands. The first to give in loses and the winner holds the title as chief of the village. Now there is a High Chief that has rule over all the tribes. They are chosen every six years at the Hodgemead and must defend their status the same as would a village chief.

Religion : They are a very religious group of individuals, and while they have no set Deity whom them actively worship, Berakas, Gotruis, and Pertium are the more common Deities whom they pray to. Yet there are priests and priestesses in every village that actively worship every Deity. They have special holidays throughout the year that celebrate certain aspects of the Deities.

Language : While their language seems like an offshoot of the traditional traders language, it varies greatly in the inflections. Their writing is a basic form of runic symbols similar to that of the ConochaÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s spells yet hold no mystical power that anyone has been able to determine thus far.

Favored Profession : Keirn have no real favored profession. They are all warriors by natural trade as survival in the harsh winters, from the corrupted that try to raid their villages for food, is necessary. They have a diverse outlook however and are readily acceptable doing anything as long as they can help with their tribe or village. The few that follow down a more darker or sinister path tend to not last long in the village setting as punishment for stealing, and such is very extreme. They are very wary of magic however that does not come from their PriestÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s or Shamans.

Description : Lemiean are a desert people with two different and different societies within their culture. They have ebony dark skin that gleams in the darkness and the palest colored hair that anyone has ever seen. They average to be about 6'9" tall and can average to be about 170 years old. Both societies are warlike and hard like the land that shaped them. Because of their height, they look slim, but the are about 250 - 260 lbs. There is little difference between the two cultures within the Lemiean race. They are both from the same desert tough stock. They look the same, trying to tell one from the other is impossible, they even dress in a similar manner. If you confuse them however, prepare to defend your life as they do not take kindly to being to being insulted like that.

Distinguished Traits : Having spent their lives in the sandy waste of the Etoilin Desert, they have developed ways to survive where no one else should. Their bodies retain water rather well allowing them to go without liquids for a number of weeks instead of days. And due to the constant blowing sands they have developed a membrane around their eyes that act as a shield from debris. This is a second layer of transparent skin that covers their eyes when they wish to keep out the sand and dust allowing them to see. They can not keep this membrane on their eyes for more than a few minutes, but it is effective enough to see a destination or to find quick cover from a storm.

Personality : The LemieanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s are broken into two distinctive groups, those who have gave up their nomadic ways and settled in the steppes and cliff faces of Nydale Cliffs. The others are those who continue their traditional calling and forever travel the sandy wastelands of the desert. Given their differences however, they both are from very hardy stock and are unsurpassed in surviving in the arid drylands and the desert. The settled LemieanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s tend to be more friendly toward outsiders and willing to trade or make friends with someone new, where those who are nomadic are very territorial and kill on site most of the people whom the do not know just because they are not in their roving tribe. Both believe in honor to the fullest however and take someoneÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s word as a blood oath. Anyone giving their word is bound to keep it lest they be banished to the arid deserts and or be staked in the hot sun until they die.

The nomadic tribes sometimes trade with merchants from other kingdoms the wondrous treasures that they find in and beyond the borders of the desert. This is a rare instance and the person they are trading with must be a member of their tribe. Whether it is a member who left to gain trade or a person who is seen worthy in their cultures eyes. Most people will not venture out as far as they will into the desert, so these items are valued. They will never trade with their city dwelling brethren however, preferring to raid their settlements for what they need instead.

Home : The first and major group in their culture are the LemieanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s that have given up their nomadic ways and built cities of adobe, brick and wood against mountain sides and crannies or near the edges of an oasis. Their society has grown into a trading culture. Trading the rare and unusual items of their mysterious lands. Coming out of their nomadic ways they are becoming a set culture. They have agriculture where it is allowed by the lands, trade with other cities and cultures and are even privileged to be Ambassadors to some larger Kingdoms where their newer outlook on the world is refreshing.

The other cultural group are the nomadic tribes of the desert. They have not given up their nomadic ways to the more suitable and stable society of their brethren. They travel from oasis to oasis to survive in the harsh and unforgiving climate of the desert. They keep the secrets of survival in the desert a mystery and will rarely tell anyone outside their nomadic tribes.

Relations : They are very family protective. They live in single family dwellings inside their cliff faces or their desert tents and lead average lives in their culture. The settled LemieanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s choose a single leader among their people every year. It can be anyone in their community that has not been chosen for at least three years. For those who have kept their nomadic lifestyle, they have a hereditary title of leadership. Only those from the hereditary leading family may rule the tribes.

For both of the two separate cultures, they have a similar set of laws that require everyone to follow the same rules and laws as no one is above them. The do not abide thievery, murder, and lies. To do any of those is punishable by being staked out in the sun over a Ka'tshar mound[6]. They farm where there is good land, they raise small goats and desert trained horses, and are unmistakably the best pottery makers in the known lands.

Religion : The LemieanÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s who still embrace their nomadic lifestyle worship Idehund nearly exclusively. Feeling that since it was by her grace alone that they are here and able to survive, they feel she is a goddess worth any warriors cries. Those who have settled worship an array of Gods, but Idehund is still seen as first and foremost in their worship, having special days for celebration in her honor, where the other Gods they do not. Idehund is not a malicious Deity to them as she has a fondness for their culture.

Language : They have a very distinctive spoken language that is a series of clicks and high pitches syllables within. Their language is not impossible to learn, but for someone who is not a linguist it is difficult at best. Their written language is very script like and flowing, seeming to be more of an artistic pleasure than any form of basic writing. Like any other race, they have no problems learning any other language. They do learn the traders common however to make it easier on those who wish to do business within their borders.

Favored Profession : It is a very common thing for the men to be the protectors and warrior caste in their culture, as in most cultures the men protect the women and children. The women however, are called to a different purpose. Women who do not stay bound to home and family get a personal calling and become a Priestess of Idehund. No male can become a priest as Idehund would not allow it as she sees the culture to have certain functions and boundaries, this being one of them. The women are not malicious, nor do they look down on their men, they just claim a certain closeness to their Goddess that makes them special.

Their entire culture is still very fierce and combative and no matter what Order or part of society that they come from, they are all warriors and protectors of their culture and race. They will fight like a cornered badger if pushed to far, but will go out of their way to help another that they see as worthy. They are not murders by birth, they view strength and honor as foremost in their culture. They just see their brethren that left the wandering way as traitors to the Way of Life and therefore not worthy. They view the warrior as a highly respected individual, as they keep close to their traditional ways when the strongest in their tribes, lead the whole tribe.

Description : They appear to be what they are. A lizard that walks on two legs. They have the appearance of a lizard with facial features that give expressions and feelings. Although their skin is not scaley like a normal lizard. It is smooth and covered with thin silky hairs that give them their orange and darker stripes. Their tail can not be used to grip things but they can use it as a distracting weapon causing more blunt damage than any real harm. The have sharp claws and fangs that make them intimidating in battle, since they use them very well as well as any weapons they choose to learn. They have a bluish green skin with stripes and highlights of orange that makes it difficult for them to blend into any natural surrounding. Their age of 250 is simply a guess as no one has ever seen one die of old age, but the general age of 250 is around the time when they are not seen anymore by the rest of the world.

Distinguished Traits : Other than looking like an upright lizard man they have formidable claws and a distinguished tail, they have a very poor night vision. Similar to a normal human, they need light to be able to travel at night or in the darkness.

Personality : The Sslassti are an off spring of sorts of the semi intelligent lizard man race. They have grown into a very intelligent race and have learned to hate their similar cousins with a passion. They have had many hardships because of their ignorant and brutal kin. Many times being hunted down because they were mistaken as one of the other lower intelligent and more brutal kind. They have broken apart from their unintelligent kin, as they see them being unintelligent and the reason why most cultures do not like them, and have tried to carve their own part for their race in the world. They are honorable creatures that help most people in need. Though their hardships are many and the list is long, they are getting some semblance of respect in the lands. Mainly in the human lands that border their native lands. They are still feared and are outright hated in some areas in the land.

Home : They live in the marsh and swamp lands to the east of the Kingdom of Ediren. They have chosen this as their home as no one bothers them for their wetlands. They have developed a way to grow agriculture and raise small herds of animals for stock. They have grown into a prospering civilization and have actually raised small stone cities out of the swamp where they live above the watery murk. They have formed a small government that is divided into three distinct classes, the slaves, the commoners, and the pipiltin or the born nobility. Slaves are those born of the poor who work their lives at the whim of the commoners and pipiltin. Those who ran from service and could make it to the steps of the royal palace were granted freedom instantly and raised to commoner. Those who fail are sacrificed. Slaves can also buy their freedom from the pipiltin but this is rare and very expensive. Commoners are the farmers and lowly merchants and traders and servicemen. They are those who peddle their services for the culture with their skills. They are free and own their own property and have complete rights of the law as dictated by the pipiltin. The pipiltin are the nobility who are born to their status. However, nobility is not just the rulers but the religious caste, their magical caste, and their builders, and smiths of metal. All seen as a higher form of person. The nobility chose their rightful ruler over all the Ssladiva. This person is called the Tlatoani and has absolute voice over everyone, except the head priest in times of religious ceremony. The Tlatoani maintains the laws and functions of the culture.

Relations : Their culture is based around clutches. Each clutch is its own little family, with more males than females in the clutch. Normally there will be around five adult males for every one adult female. Sslassti can not reproduce until they reach adulthood at around 100 or so years so their numbers stay small. They have family values similar to most intelligent races. Having laws and guidelines to rule where chaos would reign if they were not implemented. They are a very orderly culture, seeing everything as having to be in a certain place, often causing most to be perfectionists by nature alone. They do not like thievery, or anything to do with the shady side of life. They feel they would be no better than their ignorant cousins if they resorted to such tactics. All such behavior is frowned upon and normally dealt with harsh punishments when found.

They are compassionate toward those who deserve it, and ruthless to those who do not. They have welcomed any peace with the intelligence races that has been offered, often siding with them in wars and battles to show their trust and worthiness. They are true to their word always and will never break a promise. Their honor matches that of the Keirn. Their military tactics are brutal but efficient, often some armies having one or two as a military advisor in times of war.

Religion : Religion plays a very important role to the Sslassti, for they feel that without the Gods they would not be able to have distinguished themselves from their ignorant cousins. They worship all the Gods, feeling that to leave one out would cause that God anger and be forced to punish them. They believe in the balance of the world, for every day there is night, for every good there is bad and their destiny depends greatly on all the Gods approval. There is a special day in their calender for each God and they have special services for each of these days. The priest is a very highly respected position and anyone bringing harm to a priest brings the wrath of the Gods, therefore anyone harming a priest whether directly or not is normally sacrificed to appease the Gods before they get angry.

Language : They have their own form of language that is very difficult for anyone not of their race to understand much less master. It is a form of hisses and guttural grunts used mainly for imparting feeling and desire, not really communication. They have developed the ability to understand and speak the basic traders common but even so they can never speak it fluently without their telltale hissing speech. Their written language is a form of simple pictographs that detail their meaning. They can however learn other forms of written language.

Favored Profession : While most of the favored professions that the Ssladiva may want are of the pipiltin caste, they have strong loyalty to their family and culture and would anything to protect them. The warrior caste is very important to the Ssladiva, for while they are not pipiltin, they are not commoners or slaves. They are outside most of the laws of their culture. Except the of laws about harming the priests. They are respected, for without them they would probably fall before their enemies and be no more.

Hewdamia is based in a setting of Medieval Fantasy where there are real knights, Lords and Kings, as well as Mages and Sorcerers.

Instead of the 4th Magic being dominant (Technology), the world has developed where the those knowledgable can control the forces with the other three forms of Magic. These three magicsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ are known as...

Mental Magic - Psionics or powers derived from the mind.

Elemental Magic - The control and manipulation of the forces which define natural energies.

Ritualistic Magic - Power granted and given to someone worthy by a God or other entity seen as a God for the purpose of their religion or beliefs. Also known as Priestly or Holy Magic.

These three magicsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ have developed in the world of Hewdamia instead of the technological era of our world. Instead of the science of technology, a science of magic was founded and has prospered.

The 4th magic is technology, or the study of science. Our world has the study of the 4th magic, or science, and relies on it to define our world. Hewdamia relies on the other three to help define their world. There is technology in Hewdamia but it is limited. More along the technology of the early 1500's.

Magic is broken down into three categories. Deific Magic (Divine Magic or Priest Magic), Psionic Powers (Not magical but seen as mystical), and Elemental Magic (The four elements air, earth, fire, and water are all magical schools of mastery).

Elemental Magic is just that. Magic derived from the elements. There are four elements that one can master. Since the Gods have changed the way magic works however, a new way was found to harness the powers of the world.

All elemental mages require two things in order to utilize elemental magic. One is a staff of power. These staves are special crystals found in area rich and abundant with residual magic. They average about 5' - 7' long and are nearly as strong as most metal weapons. When a student of the elements first begin, their first task is to find one of these staves of power. Most of the areas where they are found have schools dedicated to the elemental magic so they are not very difficult to locate. The staves hoard the residual magic within so the mage does not use any of their inner abilities to cast the spells. Occassionally however, the staves will drain their resources and they must be recharged. This is not a problem as since magic comes from the elements, recharging the staves are easily done.

The second thing required of a mage is are the symbols of power. Similar to the runes of the ancients, these symbols display and harness the magic of the elements and can focus that power through the staves. Each different elemental school has different runes for their spells. These runes are carved into the staves and harnessed at any time the mage requires. Verbal words are not needed as the mage just consentrates on individual symbols in order to use the spell. Because the runes are individual to each element, mages can only study one elemental magic. Once the first symbol is placed on the staff, the staff is forever attuned to that type of elemental magic and can never be changed.

YeakenYeaken - is a large beast of burden similar to an ox. Their shoulder stands at about eight feet in height and they can weight close to seven hundred pounds if they are healthy. They have leather skin closely resembling that of a rhino or elephant and a broad curled horn in the middle of their head.

This horn is half as wide as their skull but can measure up to 2' long if straightened. In itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s use it is ideally similar to a ramÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s horn in that they can butt with it. It does have a small opening in the base near the skull that the Yeaken can produce sound from. They have a tuba sounding blast when they are angered or mating. It is extremely hard and is colored brown and tan. Their eyesight is normal as well as their hearing, but they have a great sense of smell. Males tend to have a facial beard that is white that hangs close to the ground.

Their front legs are longer than their back, giving them a sloped appearance and slow runners. They can not attack with their front legs, instead use either their frontal ram horn, or their back legs. Their back feet have wicked claws on each to protect them in the wild. It is common for domesticated Yeaken to have these removed for safety.

They are social animals and are very peaceful in the wild as well as domestication. In the wild they very seldom do they travel alone, but tend stay in family groups of herds. They always travel with the weaker and smallest of the family inside and have the larger and stronger Yeaken toward the outside forming a circle as they travel. They are very trusting which makes domestication extremely easy and makes them easy prey for predators that can take something as large as them down. They can sense hostile intentions with their acute sense of smell and keep a long memory of things that hurt them.

SandgrazerSandgrazerÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s are large camel like creatures that roam the desert in small herds. They stand roughly 7' tall at the shoulders and have a broad square face with three eyes, two in the forward front of their skull and one higher up in the middle on the back of the skull. This eye is used to watch for predators. They have a very high endurance and donÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t seem to need to eat. They do however need water.

They can smell water up to twenty miles of any size and find it unerringly. They have large glands that hang below their belly that can be removed that are filled with water. Removing these glands does not hurt the animal, as they drop off naturally after a certain amount of water has been retained in them. The water held in these glands are equivalent to a gallon of water and are fresh, if not a little warm. It is drinkable and will sustain anyone that has no food for an extended period of time as nutrients are passed into the water through the animal.

The nomadic Lemeain tribes of the desert hoard these animals for this benefit and usually track down anyone attempting to take one without permission, which they never give.

Blood SpiderThey are a dark brown rust color, nearly the color of dried blood and have a body that is approximately 8' wide. This does not include their legs. They are covered in short dark hair and enjoy grooming themselves to stay clean.

SocietyThe Blood Spider is normally a solitary animal, preferring the company of itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s victims then itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s own kind. They will usually live away from the bustle of humanity where they will not be disturbed and hunt on large animals for food. Only during mating season will they gather together, the males fighting for dominance over the females for rights to mate. Those who win, mate with the females and leave them to their own ends.

HomeThe tend to live in tight fitting hollows that they dig in the ground. these hollows are usually under boulders or old trees where there is ample seclusion and protection.

ResourcesThey will normally attack their prey by surprise, knocking them to the ground with their two front legs and then stinging them with a small protrusion that extends from their mouth. This stinger has a fast acting venom, that when it is injected into their victim they begin to go numb.

Vision goes first, then motor skills, until they can no longer move. This leaves a very small and unnoticeable mark when they puncture the skin. The spider then grabs them and hauls them back to their lair, where they inject a small tube into the victim and drain their blood.

The venom can be harvested up to three hours after the Blood Spider has died. This venom has been known to be used by countless assassins as well as for medical purposes.

Dark UnicornA dark unicorn appears as a black unicorn that has had its horn uncurled and split. Where one horn rested, now two glossy black and twisted horns sit drinking the light as if it fed off of its brilliance. Their eyes glow a fierce red and their breath steams with anger and hatred.

To kill a Unicorn is to bring bad luck and the hatred of nature itself down upon the foolish. It is said that the mate of a unicorn that is murdered will turn horrible in itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s pain and anger, turning against nature to hunt and kill the murderer of itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s mate. It turns dark and soulless and seeks nothing but the death of itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s enemy.

A dark unicorn was once a majestic unicorn that has had or seen its mate murdered. Their hatred and sorrow consumes them from within and warps their morals and sensibilities turning them into a festering form of hatred that despises anything living. They can sometimes be found as being mounts for demonic beings. Their first task, however, is to avenge their mate and kill their murderer.

The are still very intelligent, but they have lost their morals and compassion and will stop at nothing to avenge the death of their mate. Once they have witnessed the death of their mates murderer, they will seek out others of like mind to bring pain and sorrow to those of the living and natural world.

Choke HorrorChoke horrors are nightmarish creatures that give the most knowledgeable and adventurous pause. They are tall gangly bipedal creatures that have four whip like appendages instead of arms. These whips end in small, yet sharp claws that rake metal armor as would a sword. They have a white pallid complection and a smell of sweet decaying roses. This gives them a quick appearance of being a corpse if they hide their whip arms. Their black eyes showing no signs of intelligence or thought, but behind those eyes are primal predatory instincts.

HomeThey have no speech or culture, but will occasionally hunt in packs of two or three. They are single minded and devious, wanting only to feed. They tend to lurk and hide in the shadows and jump out at a anyone or anything straggling behind for an easier meal. They will attempt to grapple their intended prey with two of their arms leaving the other two open for defense or attacking and try and strangle their victim to feed on at a later date.

ResourcesThey can only attack with three of their whips as the forth one is always left for defense or to grab anything close for defense or food. They are carnivorous creatures that will eat the flesh from their victims before their last breath escapes their lips. They will eat any animal they can get a hold of, but prefer humanoid and sentient beings for some unknown reason. They rest in dens hidden away from direct sunlight as the sun seems to hurt their eyes. It doesnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t harm them, but bright light seems to be an aversion to them.

[6]Ka'tsharKa'tshar are very similar to ants with one exception. They are about 4" long. They have a above animal intelligence but still can not communicate with intelligent beings. Their mandibles are large and extremely strong, being able to punch through most chain mail with ease. they are very skittish when it comes to confrontation with things far bigger than they are, but wil lswarm in the hundreds if their mounds are provoked. Often overpowering even the mightiest of cretures with sheer numbers.

HomeThe Ka'tshar are generally found in desert environments but have been seen in plains areas that tend to be dry and devoid of an abundance of life. Their nests are generally underground with their mounds sometimes stand ten feet above the ground and go as deep as forty feet below the surface. Falling in one is not advisable. The tunnels have been known to be lage enough for a small snimal to crawl into or even a small child, however most do not make it ten feet into the tunnels before soldiers are sent to remove intruders.

ResourcesThey have a number of different sources of food. The workers who are detailed to forage outside of the nest gnerally look for water bearing plants to suppliment the need for water in such a dry climate. These workers are very specific and do not have any defense other than running. However, this a select group of foraging Ka'tshar that search for real food. These groups ranks are generally filled with at least 1/3 of the soldier caste. The soldiers compliment the workers by taking down small prey for the use of food.

They are aggressive enough to swarm animals and use them for food. The largest swarm seen has been able to take down a healthy Yeaken within three minutes. They use the animal as any other scavenger would by taking what they need back to the colony to feed the queen and the rest of the colony.

Caste DistinctionTheir coloring dictates their station in the colony. Workers : A soft color orange. Soldiers : Red and black striped with a numbing secretion on their mandibles that slowly paralyze their victims. Normally used only on food to stop it and bring it back to the workers. Scouts : Also known as swarmers. They have a set of functional wings that they use to fly and find food and water. They look similar to the soldier but without the black stripes. Their mandibles are just as large but lack the secretion of the soldiers. Queen : About 6" long, with a white sticky pouch attached to her midsection. She seldom moves and is protected by a vast number of soldiers at ever moment of the day. She lays approximately fifty eggs a day.

The eggs of the Ka'tshar are very nutritious and are a delicacy in most homes. They are traded with some of the other cultures in the land and put on the tables of the rich and important. The eggs average 3" long and look similar to a chicken egg with a soft outer shell.

Here's a thought- right now, you have quite enough interesting animals. Let's try people, cultures, places, so that we can get a better feel for it. Right now, for me, its a big empty void with weird animals and races in it.

The reason behind that is I have already done most of the work on the creatures, having completed over 50 now. As for people, well I just have shells, husks if you will, of the population. People descriptions are not my strong suit. I will work on getting some up though.

Fajro Mang'iFajro MangÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢i, also known as Fire Eaters, are a reclusive tribe of Keirn that holds secrets thought long lost. They have a magic specific to their tribe that they do not let anyone else know these hidden truths. They have a unique magic solely understood by their Sacerdoto (Shaman or Witch Doctor). They select those in the tribe who are worthy of this magic and perform a lost Naming Ritual to prepare the ChosenÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s body for this magic. They cover the bodies of those chosen with tattooÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s specific to their magic. Once these tattooÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s have been applied in their Naming Ritual, those gifted then have powers similar to other mage spells without having to use a focus staff. These tattooÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s are specific for each spell, so the runes used are very similar to the ones that are carved on the focus staves of the magic users. They have either discovered a way to bring an old magic back, or have found a new way to use magic which they are not sharing with anyone else.

Those who are recipients of this ritual have no idea what the Sacerdoto do to get these effects to work. All they are told is that the power was within them and they just gave a focal point to release the energies. Whether this is true or not is under speculation, but whatever the reason or answer is, they have a way to cast spells without the use of the focus staves. The tattooÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s are all done during the ritual and may not be attempted again, so all the tattooÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s done during the ritual are the only ones that the Chosen one may receive. The average chosen have around four to five tattoos, with some having as many as twelve. The rest of the tribe view these Verkies or ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“ChosenÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ as superiors, some even becoming other Sacerdoto. Most though are revered as warriors and appointed places in high regard in the clans and the entire tribe. Most of the clan leaders are of the Verkies and are chosen because of their prowess and skills as a leader and warrior.

The ways of the warrior mean everything to the Fajro MangÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢i and battle stories, trophies, and feats of strength and prowess hold weight for leadership. Every year the clans get together and have a huge Feast to celebrate the passing of another year. All grievances are forgiven, all debts respectfully paid, and all feuds are forgotten. This does not include Blood Feuds however, but there is also an unspoken rule of all Blood Feuds are to be held in check while in the Feast. The main reason for this Feast is the new appointment of the AuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢tokrato, or the leader over the entire clan. One member is chosen from each clan by their clan, normally it is the Verkies who are chosen but occasionally they have declined and appointed someone else.

Those chosen are then set against one another and the last person standing gains title of AuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢tokrato. No weapons or magic may be used, only the physical prowess of each individual can be used. The contest has traditional meaning and so must be done a certain way. Each person chosen must enter yelling their deeds to those watching. Occasionally someone will backout after hearing the deeds of another bowing out in respect for their skills. Then a show of strength where everyone must lift an object and move it to a certain point. Those who make the distance are then placed into a large ring lined with broken glass and pottery and must battle each other until only one person is standing. No one is allowed weapons, magic or even clothes during this last event. Anyone thrown from the ring is out, anyone knocked out is out, and anyone who bows out is out. Last one standing on their own is then AuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢tokrato of the entire tribe. Rarely is anyone killed during this, but scrapes from the hot sand, broken bones, and deep cuts from the glass and pottery are common.

All males are warriors and protectors of everyone in their family, clan, and tribe. No exception. When a young male reaches 14 years of age, they must prove their manhood by being bound with their hands behind their backs and blind folded with stout cloth and stripped to their small clothes and left out in the plains far from their village. They young man must make it home fully clothed with a trophy kill to be considered a man of the tribe.

The Fajro MangÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢i are different than some of the other tribes among the Keirn, mainly because of where they have chosen to live. They have given up on their nomadic ways and have hollowed out their homes in the cliff faces along the coast. Dangerous pathways lead down to their villages that make it difficult to attack their homes at best. Their homes are dug deep into the cliff face and lead deep underground for protection from the winters icy touch. While they do not have a strong navy, they do have small boats called curragh that they use for fishing off the coast. These small boats are made by covering a wicker frame with leather and oilcloth and can fit roughly six men with minimal difficulty. They have been known to use these boats for swift raids on some of the small coastal villages of other Keirn during times of unrest, or even raiding groups of the corrupted up the northern coast for trails of manhood.

They are a very proud people and respect honor over birth station any day. Woman have a purpose in their society and it is the raising of the children and keeping of the home. They mend, repair, cook, farm, and generally keep most of the daily work done while the men are either fishing, hunting, or warring. They respect their woman however with something close to respect of a Chieftain. A saying among the Fajro MangÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢i is, ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œA Chieftain rules over his people, protects his people, and respects the Gods who placed him over his people, but he is commanded by his wife while at home.ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬? Anyone caught showing what they would call disrespect toward a woman answers to every male in view of the disagreeable action and must make account to bring the woman back peace. This normally isnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t a problem among other Fajro MangÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢i, it is however common among some of the other tribes, and even some of the other races and their different customs.

The Kingdom of Kerabarr is one of the older human kingdoms that have grown throughout the years. It was founded on strife and conquest and each inch of land was paid for in the lives of its people. Whether it was from other human raiders, the Gison, the Sladiva, the winters in the northern part of the kingdom, or the abominations that swarm out of the mountains; the people of Kerabarr have earned their right to claim this land as their own. They have taken the land over and turned it into cultivated and cattle used land that harvests more than what the masses could use so they export a lot of their food and cattle to other kingdoms that are willing to trade with them. They have an ongoing disagreement with their neighboring Kingdom of Rhomas. It started off as minor border disputes, but every so often a patrol from either side will venture to far and end up ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“defendingÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ themselves from the other kingdoms patrols. This dispute has turned more violent in the current time and may be building up for an all out war between the two.

Kerabarr has an ongoing friendship with Goric Rock-biter of clan Buhrodar to the north. This friendship does not extend beyond the clan very far since most Gison clans are very suspicious of non-family or non-clan members. A patrol from Shaedra found a small group of Gison from clan Buhrodar in chains being held captive by a mix of Sladiva and corrupted called Oba`ke (Orcs) being tortured for information about their stronghold. The humans, without thinking, rushed into the camp and proceeded to destroy the Sladiva and the Oba`ke as there was no love between the two groups. When the Gison were set free they thanked the humans, helped tend to their wounded and returned home. In 1630A, when the harsh winter assaulted the human settlement of Shaedra, the Gison came down in force to help them make it through the winter in thanks for saving the oldest son of Dwal Bone-masher the leader of the clan at the time.

The main worries that the Kingdom of Kerrabar has is not the ongoing dispute with the Kingdom of Rhomas, but the constant raids that they receive from the north from the Oba`ke. There are a few outposts placed in the mountains but there are to many passes to watch. Occasionally they send large groups of calvary and foot solders to raid beyond the mountain passes to thin the ranks of the corrupted, but year after year the raids continue to come with more frequency.

- Aadda - located in the southern part of the kingdom, Aadda is the strong arm that never tires. While the land to their north-east is fertile and supplies the city with the food that they need, most of the land to the south is useless and dangerous. The lands to their east are used for training grounds for their extensive calvary so the area surrounding the city is well patrolled and near free of any crime or banditry. It was originally founded as an outpost to watch the southern border against any hostilities, as the land beyond the hills was relatively unknown. It was hard to cultivate so it was left to grow wild. With the Holy Dominion having its border relatively close, there is a large population in the city who have strong religious beliefs. And being they have assisted in building a stone roadway from the border of the Holy Dominion up the border of their neighboring Kingdom of Cerab that shoots north to the capital city of Volmara, they are in the middle of a heavily traveled trade route.

The city has expanded over the years to include a two great walls that surround the city completely. The original city was built after the Battle of the Plains with a large wall surrounding the entire city. This wall stood twenty feet high and was close to twenty feet thick in most places. The castle has evolved into a hulking beast that watches over the lands in all directions looking for attackers at all times. They put only four gates in the entire wall, each one leading to a compass point. The gates were massive hulks that closed when night fell, or an advancing horde loomed in the Hills of Bone. When the city grew to fill the entire inner wall section, another wall was built, this time further out from the original city. The upper city as it is called now, is where all the nobles, rich merchants, and the important live. The lower city is home to all of the populace and businesses. There is a large academy for Conocha that nestles in the western side of the lower city. This academy is not looked on with any stigma, as magic is used frequently to defend the city from hostilities. It is there and welcome, and out of the mind as it is a daily feature in the city now. There are also temples to each God in the eastern side of the lower city near the old wall. This has been dubbed the Prayers District and both civilians and the rich and noble come here to pray together. The lower cities walls are thicker than those in the upper city. These walls are roughly thirty feet thick and stand roughly eighteen feet tall. There are also only four gates into this wall but they are not in direct line with the other four, to prevent an easy approach to the upper city and the castle.

This is the only city in the Kingdom that requires all men to be drafted into the military. Everyone that lives in the city registers their entire family with the Tally Office and every young man at the age of 15 that lives in the city at his birth age is required to serve up to two years. The pay is rather well, and they get to stay with their families while not in training. Most of the young men agree to this and nearly all serve their time if not more in the military. Once their time is finished, they are assisted by the military in getting started outside the military. Most view this as an honor as it is a tradition more than a law. Many young men opt to stay for a longer term as it is all they know.

Magic is seen with little suspicion, as it is used often at times to defend the city from the hordes that try to raid the city. There is a fairly large academy of Conocha that has built up a rather good reputation among the populace. And while there are factions of all the religions here, they are small and tend not to make to many waves with the local government by causing problems for themselves.

Over the other cities in the Kingdom of Kerabarr, Aadda has the bloodiest history among them. As this city was built as an outpost there has always been a major military presence here. In 1680A, during the Flight of the Dragons, a horde of Oba`ke swarmed from the lands to the south to raid the then striving town. While the horde was fought back, many were wounded and could not follow in pursuit. A rider was sent to Volmara and Dongarld for help, but it would be weeks before help arrived. They dug in and continuously fought the advancing hordes back to the hills just south of the border.

Three days after the original assault, night fell and the hope and moral of the surviving troops were waning thin. They were making the horde pay, but while the horde continued to send new creatures at them, the defenders were losing men that could not be replaced. Men who had limbs cut off previously had weapons strapped to their arms or were staked up to poles to fight the onrushing swarm. A traveler named Amyrin Lordaemere, who had gotten trapped by the two armies fighting, began taking a leadership role when the officers were falling in battle. He saw the inevitable so took his commanders aside to inform them of the bad news. No one was coming, and they couldnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t last the night. He decided to take as many with them as they could and devised a plan to rush the hills the horde were using as a staging area and try to assault the main camp or their leaders.

The entire army set out at once while there was a lull in the fighting and rushed the hills. Over 3,000 men rushed into that final battle and only a third of them returned, none unscathed. AmyrinÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s plan succeeded however, as the horde was camped just over the first few groups of hills. They rushed in and began slaughtering anything that did not yield, and even then those were dealt with. While they did not destroy the horde they did route them and send the few thousands left into the plains to the east. When all was finished and those who returned to their home saw the bodies littering the hills and the plains below they felt sorrow at the destruction.

The hills were aptly named the Hills of Bone and over the years the bones of the fallen have turned to dust leaving the hills grey and white, no more would grass or even weeds grow on the turned soil. The plains to the south were named the Plains of Sorrow for those lost that night and the battle has been called the Battle of the Plains by the historians. When the armies from Volmara and Dongarld arrived it was a sorry state that the town was in. Out of the 6,000 soldiers that were originally at the town, only about 1,100 of them survived and were still in condition to serve. Both armies got with Amyrin, who received a field commission of General for his duties and actions and a noble title of Baron as the previous Baron had died in the battle. With what was left of the soldiers and the addition of the two joined armies, they set off to find those of the horde who had escaped to redeem that which was brought on Aadda. All three armies met and fought till the horde was no more. The plains in which the battle was fought was aptly named the Plains of Redemption.